Cannot install/uninstall/use flash

[Throatwobbler_mangrove]

recently i uninstalled flash in order to install a new version,

after this i discovered i could not install flash, and although

flash had been removed some animations could play,

furthermore the "about flash" or whatever ensured me that flash was still installed.

i uninstalled it through the control panel, a fatal mistake.

since then i have tried many times to use the flash uninstaller.

i have tried downloading special system tools.

i have searched and removed every folder and every registry entry

named "flash", "macromedia", "adobe" etc.

i have removed every visible trace of any adobe product just to be certain, with "Revo uninstaller".

i have uninstalled/reinstalled opera.

and i have then used a registry cleaner repeatedly.

i have looked through countless discussions to get help.

i cannot install any version of flash.

the "about flash" page still tells me i have flash installed.

is there anything more to do?

the only thing i can think of is reinstalling windows,

or buying a new computer.

or if someone let me know the location of every file

and registry entry associated with flash so i could remove them.

[CarlDu · Accepted solution]

On Windows 7, 32bit the installation paths for the plugin are

For Microsoft Internet Explorer

C:\windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\Flash10x.ocx

For Mozilla Firefox

C:\windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF32.dll

Read http://kb.mozillazine.org/Flash and http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html

[Throatwobbler_mangrove]

I should have mentioned that i have Windows XP,

using Opera, as mentioned.

i did not find any flash10x.ocx,

i did however find a few flash.ocx files

on various places, which i removed.

i also found and deleted

NPSWF32.dll

NPSWF32_FlashUtil.exe

and flashplayer.xpt

mentioned in http://kb.mozillazine.org/Flash

there must be some traces left in the registry

since the installer constantly fails to initialize.

i have tried disabling the firewall and antivirus

while running the installer.

and i have tried all the standard instructions.

The browser does not claim that flash is installed anymore,

but the installers still fail to initialize when they start.

[pwillener]

Download the installers from http://forums.adobe.com/thread/909550

If this installer also fails, please post the content of the FlashInsall.log file in C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash

Also post what other files are in that folder.

[Throatwobbler_mangrove]

apparently deleting:

NPSWF32.dll

NPSWF32_FlashUtil.exe

and flashplayer.xpt

in addition to all the other registry search and destroy missions

erased the last traces of flashplayer.

i had to install it by clicking on a "broken" flash plugin window

rather than using the conventional installer.

so the problem is solved.

the world is safe, for now.

but i think there should be a flashing warning and a siren

whenever you try to remove flash from the control panel.

thank you for your assistance nonetheless.

[pwillener]

Throatwobbler mangrove wrote:

i had to install it by clicking on a "broken" flash plugin window

rather than using the conventional installer.

Not quite sure what you mean by that; can you clarify?

[Throatwobbler_mangrove]

there was an empty flash panel which said i had to

install flash for the panel to work,

so i clicked on that rather than downloading the usual

flash installer (which wouldn't work anyway).

[rolayuan]

Your computer may poisoning

[Throatwobbler_mangrove]

rolayuan wrote:

Your computer may poisoning

umm... i don't think my computer is "poisoning",

though i'm not sure how to verify that.